The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-12-21
STAGE,STORIES
Interesting "Reminiscences Of Dion Blusiolult
ths Veteran Playwright ard Actor.
How Joe Jefferson wIs Color BIind-First
Night Recommendation Under
or OEer-rate Themselves.
lchIcaro Harald-l

lch.cago Herald.
In my leisure moments / have written
"reminiscences OF long and very happy
career on the stage, and among the hun
ored and one amusing occurrences none
can excel the chapter of accidents that
happened TO The ShAughraun" on its
INST night, Everything went well until
my scene, in which | describe the fox
hunt, to attend which Conn steals Squire
Foley's horse. The public took fire before
expected, and exploded in the wrong
place. This took me by surprise and |
forgot the words. Turning to Nine. Ponisi
said: What is it?" She replied: ''I
don't know and there we stood. l made
up the rest OF the speech as best I could,
or rather staggered through it. In the
second act, when 8 front scene should
have been drawn TO discover the ruined
abbey by moonlight, with the silver ripple
the moon made on toe waters, taere was
long wait. The slow music was played
again ard again. / became dreadfuliy i'm
patient, when Tommy Bardon. the gssman,
who managed all the hme-light effects,
including the moon, rushed toward me
with despair convulsing bis features.
whats the matter p cried.
"0h, cir, the moon has busted" He
meant that the lens which is focused on
the circular oTifce representing the moon
had broken under the heat.
"No matter" 1 cried, draw the scene"
Tommy tore his hair when, on discovering
Matt Norgsn's lovely work, round black
hole in the sky represented total eclipse.
Nevertheless, the water below showed the
ripping reflection Of the satellite absentee
Tommy had forgotten ito turn of the
ripple" a roar Of laughter saluted the
blundeT.
But all this was nothing compared to
what occurred in the last scene OF the play
when Molineux has to search for the
wound in Kinchela's body inflicted by
Conn's pistol shot. The text directs
Molineux to feel the breast of Kinchela's
coat, exclaiming: The bullet entered
here, bat something has arrested its pro-
eress All this pOcket5ook has saved his
lifel Montague, who played Molineux,
could find no pOcketbook. / heard him
whisper: where's the pocketbook?' "Oh,
Lord" murmured Kinchela, 81 forgot, it's
in my tail pocket" Montague rolled MIN
over, and extracting the book from that
spot, continued, without thinking: "The
bullet entered here" etc. The Homeric
roar of laughter, in which every one Cd the
stage Joined, shook the building. 1 tried
to speak the rest OF my part, but how got
the few words out cannot remember.
IN 1859 the Winter Garden opened its
doors in New York with version of The
dot" in which play the character of
Caleb Plummer had been written for Jeffer-
son, who was then emerging from obscure
ty. It was July. 1 was staying IN New
port. The theatrical season was to open
in September. The parts had been sent
out to the company. In few days / re-
ceived 8 visit from Jefferson. He came to
decline the part He said he had appear
ed in the character at Baltimore and else
where. and had failed dismally in it. 1 as
sured him that my Caleb was another kind
of character-there was nothing dismal
about it. Still he refused to risk it. /
pointed out to him that only few days
INTERVIEWED before the opening OF the house.
We had no other play ready and no scene-
~ In the new building. We had no one
else to play the part. At last be reluct-
antIy consented 10 play 1t if he was allow
ed to perform on the same night the char
acter Of Scion Single, which he regarded
as bis war horse" OF course this was
yielded. We assembled to rehesrse "Dot."
After the first scene took Jefferson aside
and said to him:
81 say, Joe, don't sulk over the part.
You may as well rehearse properly"
'I am not sulking at all, " he exclaimed.
"You see / am right in saying the part
don't suit me-"
! Presently / detected the error. He had
mistaken the key and was playing Caleb
in q melancholy minor instead of brill
liant msjor. 1 asked him to SIT 10 my au-
thor's chair facing the scene while re-
hearsed the rest Of the part for him. he
did so and watched me as / proceeded to
give I'D imitation Of himself-as ne should
have drawn the character. He shifted
about uneasily for some time-he had
caught the idea of the childish old man,
until at last he jumped NJ, crying: I see!
All right. did not understand it before.
I can do it."
DOT was produced and the com sdian
scored one OF the greatest successes of his
career.
In 1865 he arrived in London from Aus
tralia, where he had been starring. He was